With No Risks, There Are No Rewards
by ColorfulParadox
Summary: Thor could truly have anybody that he wanted, any being in any realm and yet, for some reason unknown to Loki, the thunder god still chooses him above all others. Loki can't begin to fathom the reason why. He has to know for himself that the relationship they have is stable and so, he'll make sure it stays that way. Based on a tumblr prompt One-Shot


**Based on this prompt by kingloptr over on tumblr. I sure hope it lives up to your expectations~**

**"I would like some fic where Loki proposes to Thor. It would be so great, like I can def see Loki getting all worked up about things because he finally allowed himself to admit he even loves Thor in the first place and so they tentatively start out a relationship and work hard at not fighting etc, but it just doesn't feel right to Loki; he thinks it's not permanent or stable enough because he's very insecure about Thor leaving him, so one day he just breaks down in the middle of some normal conversation about Asgard's politics or something and basically blurts out 'Thor marry me' and Thor is just like 'OF COURSE I WILL'. "**

**Favorites and reviews are lovely~**

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The long golden corridors of Asgard's palace were quiet; the halls surrounding their chambers tended to be quiet anyway. Only recently had Asgard and Jotunheim formed something reminiscent of the previous tense peace that had lasted between the two realms. Though things were still a bit uneasy now, another such truce had been established and it would have been unfit for the Aesir to _not_ entertain a feast.

Loki's previous experience with Aesir feasts suggested that tonight's would be nothing like the near silence he reveled in now. The evening sun streamed in through the large window, shining dimly through his closed eyelids as he rested in the windowsill. A thick, closed book, filled with information on various forms of ancient magic, rested in his lap and his arms were folded behind his head in a peaceful manner.

A loud knock on the door halted his rest as he cracked open an eye. Biting back a groan, he took the book from his lap and set it on a nearby table before walking towards the door and pulling it open.

A smile fell into place over his lips as his gaze met a striking blue one. "And exactly what are you doing here? Aren't you to be overseeing the decorations for the feast?"

Thor flashed a grin in response, one arm against the doorframe. "I don't think I should have been placed in charge of the decorations. It is you that holds all the beauty and surely you would have been a better choice."

Loki's smile widened slightly as he leaned forward, his face only inches from Thor's. "You flatter me, Thunderer."

Strong arms reached forward and encircled Loki's waist and the thunder god tilted his head forward to catch Loki's lips in a light kiss. "I see nothing wrong with it."

The Trickster rolled his eyes teasingly, pulling back a bit. "Maybe not but there is something wrong with you avoiding your duties. What are you doing?"

"I grew bored without you and thought that, perhaps, you would like to join me. It's nearly time for everything to start and we are expected to be there early."

A spark of magic flared as Loki's attire shifted to his the usual black and green leather. "Well then, let's go." He stepped out into the hall, terminating the lights in his room with a flick of his hand and glancing back to Thor. The thunder god fell into step beside him as the two made their way to the grand hall where the feast was to be held.

"Oh, you were a fine choice for overseeing decorations. It's wonderful," Loki praised as they walked into the hall. His green gaze flickered around before landing on Thor again.

Thor smiled and offered a slight shrug. "Well, everything is done now."

Multiple plates of food were being brought out and set along the long wood tables that spanned through the room. The tables were already set with plates and mugs and the like. It wasn't long before everybody started arriving and the hall was filled with voices and laughter. The Aesir tore through the food that has been laid out. As the minutes turned to a small number of hours, many of the Aesir that had taken to drinking were now drunk. Thor hadn't been an exception to the rule and he now sat at the head of a long table and everyone was listening to him intently as he recounted a long tale about a hunting trip they had taken in their teen years. Loki sat to his right, both hands secured around a mug full of mead. Though the majority of Asgard had no quarrels with being drunk during feasts, Loki had always had his reserves about it and tonight was no different. He had never truly trusted people enough to allow himself to be that vulnerable around them and though he wasn't as hesitant as he had once been, he still wouldn't partake in too much mead now.

A sudden weight settled over his shoulders and his gaze flickered up to find that Thor had rested his arm over him. Thor's gaze met his for a moment and he smiled before turning back and continuing the story. Loki rolled his eyes teasingly and took a sip of the mead and looked around the room boredly.

Frigga stood across the room and when he met her gaze, she motioned for him to join her. Loki nodded slightly, confused as to what she wanted but obliging anyway. He slipped out from under Thor's arm, telling him that he would be back in a moment before sauntering over towards Frigga.

"Are you enjoying the feast?" Loki questioned, giving Frigga a slight smile.

Frigga smiled in reply. "Yes, it can be quite nice. As long as people don't get too boisterous."

The raven-haired god chuckled. "I would be surprised if that _didn't _occur. It happens every other time."

"That's true. It is getting quite late though and I don't plan on lingering. Goodnight, Loki."

"Goodnight, Mother." His green gaze followed Frigga as she left the room. He stood there for a moment and looked back to where Thor sat at the front of the table.

The thunder god was smiling and laughing, carrying on with everybody around him. Asgard's Golden Prince was truly shining in the center of attention. Loki remembered with a pang of sadness that that wasn't a place where he belonged. He could act as long as he wished but it was only that, an act. Thor naturally attracted attention and as Loki glanced around, he realized just how many people were admiring him. Beautiful people, nonetheless, that fit into the crowd that Thor so obviously enjoyed. Why would he want to be with somebody that obviously dragged him down? The Thunderer couldn't possibly enjoy being around Loki as much as he did now.

Loki sighed and shook his head, not daring to think about it at the moment. He was no longer in the mood to act as though he fit in so he simply slipped out of the room, doubting that anybody would even notice he was gone. Walking quietly, he kept his gaze down, not wanting to talk to anybody, until he made it to his room where he closed the door. Working to keep his mind blank, he changed into more comfortable clothes and slipped into bed after extinguishing the lights. Fortunately, sleep chose to be kind to him and it wasn't long before his eyelids had become heavy and he slipped into sleep.

It wasn't terribly long before Loki was roused from his sleep by the bed shifting. Cracking open an eye, he saw a dark form crawling closer to him on the bed. He gave a soft groan, closing his eyes once more.

Loki could hear the amusement in Thor's quiet voice. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already awake," he replied sarcastically.

Thor gave a soft chuckle as he collapsed on the bed beside Loki. The thunder god wrapped his arms around Loki and pulled the Trickster close against him. Loki huffed, scrunching his nose slightly as he smelled the scent of mead on Thor's breath but he didn't dispute it. Thor nuzzled into Loki's dark hair that was fanned out over the pillow. Only shortly after did the sound of Thor's breathing steady and it was obvious that the thunder god had already fallen asleep. Loki smiled, curling into Thor's side and reveling in the warmth it provided before he allowed himself to fall asleep once more.

Loki shifted in the bed, turning away from the sun that was shining into his eyes. A moment later, he realized that the bed had grown cold. Furrowing a brow in confusion, he sat up, surprised that Thor wasn't there. Loki and Thor had formed a habit of sleeping in the same bed since they had, once more, grown close. One morning, Thor had noticed that Loki still seemed extremely tired. After an excessive amount of questioning, he had finally confessed that he hadn't even allowed himself to fall asleep after having had one too many night terrors. It had taken days longer for Loki to finally agree to allowing Thor to stay in his room for one night. Since then, it had been a constant in their lives. The raven-haired god was a bit perturbed by the fact that Thor hadn't been there when he woke. It wasn't a common occurrence and usually, if it did happen, there would have been a reason that Loki was already aware of. Maybe the thunder god couldn't stand to be near him any longer. Maybe Thor had finally realized last night what was already so painfully obvious to Loki.

His thoughts from the previous night came back with a biting vengeance. The thunder god could have anybody, and there were some truly fair maidens on Asgard that were better fitted to be Thor's partner than him. Why would Thor ever want to be with him? After all Loki had done, why would Thor want to spend any more time than needed in his presence? Much less than that, he wasn't even Aesir. He was a Jotun runt, the bastard son of Laufey. The thunder god claimed he loved Loki and acted as such. Was it to be some kind of trick? A scheme for revenge after everything Loki had done? He didn't want to live life without Thor, not again. He wouldn't return to that desolate existence. But what was he to do? It wasn't possible change himself so drastically to as to be desirable, not without simply shapeshifting but that would raise too many questions.

The raven-haired god sighed, sitting up in the bed and placing his head in his hands. Something had to be done but every possible solution slipped through his mind. He wondered briefly where Frigga was today; she always managed to help him when he didn't know who else to turn to. It seemed as though she had had something to tend to...Oh, she was to be overseeing the marriage of some nobleman.

Getting out of bed, Loki allowed his magic to wash over him, changing his clothes back to his usual attire. He glanced in the mirror, reassuring himself that everything else was in place before he sought Frigga out with his magic. Concealing himself with a short spell, he teleported to the location to find that the ceremonies had already started. He must have woken later than he thought.

He edged carefully through everything, doing his best not to alert anybody to his presence. A flash of red and gold caught his eye and he froze, turning to try and locate whatever it was. For a brief moment, he thought it to be Thor, until his gaze landed on a large red and gold bouquet that the bride was holding. Loki relaxed though he stayed quiet and still, seeing that the bride and groom had begun their vows. The two were pledging themselves to each other, promising to love each other unconditionally, and to support each other for the remainder of their lives. The Trickster smiled briefly, inwardly wishing the two the best of luck in their marriage and hoping he could manage something stable in his own relationship.

Another thought brought Loki pause once more. He could have something just as stable in his own relationship. However, marriage was surely a ridiculous notion and it wasn't something Thor would possibly agree to. If Thor truly didn't wish to be with him anymore or didn't care for Loki, then he wouldn't say yes to a supposed marriage. But if he did say yes...Loki could think of no one else that he would want to be married to. Perhaps this was the conclusion then. He'd ask Thor to marry him and if the thunder god responded positively, then there was hope for them, and if he responded negatively, then maybe they both should move on with their lives.

He glanced around once more, foregoing his earlier idea, and instead, teleported back to the palace. Setting off through the halls, Loki did his best to keep his pace steady though his heart was racing. "I'm going to do it," he mumbled under his breath, repeating it over and over in his mind. Turning a corner, his gaze flickered around the palace gardens as he passed them. Many of the flowers were in bloom at the moment and the sun was casting a beautiful shine over them as the slight breeze caused the petals and leaves to dance.

"Loki!" The Trickster stopped, looking back over his shoulder to see Thor jogging up to meet him. "You had a late start today."

Loki offered a slight smile. "Yes, I did."

"Is everything alright?" The Thunderer questioned, dipping his head slightly and searching Loki's face.

He offered another smile, this time making sure it was convincing. "Of course." He looked out over the gardens once more. "The flowers look quite stunning at the moment, don't they?"

Thor grinned in reply. "Yes they do. Come on." He grabbed Loki's hand, pulling him out into the garden. Loki chuckled, burying his growing anxiety for a moment as they made their way towards a set of benches that sat near a fountain.

"There isn't anything that we have to attend to today, is there?" Loki questioned as he sat down on one of the benches, turning to face Thor.

"Not that I'm aware of. I was thinking that I may spar with Sif and the Warriors Three later. It's been a week or so since we last had a match though I don't know what state they are in after last night so that may be held off for a day or two."

Loki nodded, only able to pay a bit of attention to what Thor said. Now would be a perfect time. There wasn't a reason to delay the question, not really, not unless Thor would say no, in which case, every second he had with the thunder god counted. However, now that he was alone with Thor, it seemed as though everything was right with the world and that anything he asked or needed would be tended to with the utmost care. And if the thunder god responded negatively, then those moments would cease to exist. But surely they wouldn't. He had to extinguish the quarrel in his mind before it drove him to madness.

"I think Mother is to be attending a wedding and Father-"

"Thor?"

The Thunderer paused long enough to look up to Loki.

"Marry me?" Loki nearly gasped the words, his tone slightly pleading as his green gaze held Thor's blue one.

It fell silent, the two of them only watching each other. In that moment, Loki's mind raced, every doubt and regret running through his mind.

Until a wide grin rose on Thor's face. "Of course I will."

Loki exhaled in relief, having only a moment before Thor pulled him close and kissed him. The Trickster did his best to not smile against the kiss, returning the affections happily. They pulled back only a moment later, breathless and smiling still.

Thor still held Loki close to him and they stayed as such for a long moment until the Thunderer spoke once more. "If I may ask, what brought all of this about? Why now, Loki?"

The raven-haired god shrugged slightly, leaning back against Thor. "I've just been...thinking about it recently."

"It is not in your nature to have understated this as you did. Had you been thinking about it so much, then you would have done some elaborate occasion, I think," Thor replied, raising brow and looking down at Loki.

He sighed irritably, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wanted to make sure that we had something...stable."

Thor furrowed a brow in confusion. "Was something wrong? Did I-"

"No, you didn't do anything, Thor. It's just...Well you could have near anybody you ever wanted but you chose me. I'm not necessarily beautiful nor am I either Aesir-"

The thunder god laughed and Loki cringed back in reply; Thor noticed and immediately stopped. "Surely you jest." His grip on Loki tightened minutely. "I don't want anyone other than you, Loki. Much less than that, I don't care that you're not Aesir. Had you been Aesir, none of this would have been possible," he stated, running his fingers through Loki's hair. "And I don't know how you could ever think of yourself as anything but beautiful. You're absolutely stunning."

The slight heat in Loki's cheeks made Thor chuckle, even as the Trickster looked away. "I guess I'll have to reassure you of that more often then." Loki leaned up, pressing a light kiss to Thor's lips. "Mm, Loki?"

"Yes?"

"Now that you know that everything is fine, even without marriage having to occur, do you still want to go through with it?"

Loki pulled back, looking up at Thor as he thought over it for a moment and smiled. "Of course I do. I can think of nobody else that I would ever want to be with."

"And neither can I."

"How are we going to tell her?"

Loki's gaze flickered up to Thor. The two were walking side by side through the halls of the palace, seeking out Frigga. It had been two weeks since Thor had said 'yes' and they had wanted to have some kind of ring first before telling Frigga. Now, a small, golden ring encrusted with miniscule jewels adorned Loki's left hand as well as the necklaces they both wore. The necklaces had been gifts to them when they were younger, intended for them to give to their betrothed. Loki's sat around Thor's neck; a thin gold chain with his symbol in silver attached to it, small green emeralds on it. Thor's sat around Loki's neck; a similar gold chain with Thor's symbol in silver with tiny red rubies in it. Both necklaces were hidden under their clothes at the moment.

"I'm sure we'll find some way. I can handle it," Loki said, flashing a lopsided grin.

It was only a short while later when they arrived at one of Frigga's rooms, the one Loki had determined her to be in. He knocked on the door, entering once he heard her greeting.

"Good afternoon, Mother," Loki hummed, walking into the room and dropping down on a couch. Frigga sat in a nearby chair, a book sitting in her lap. Thor sat down beside him, laying an arm over Loki's shoulders.

"What have you two done?" She questioned, a slight smile quirking her lips.

Loki gave a dramatic huff. "I'm, quite frankly, offended that you think we must have done something if we are simply visiting you."

Frigga gave a soft laugh. "You can't blame me for presuming as such. What brings you, then?"

The raven-haired god shrugged slightly, glancing up to Thor before looking back to Frigga. "Nothing is ringing a bell." He paused for a moment, feigning confusion, then giving a smile. "Oh! Except _this_ ring, of course." Holding up his left hand, he twiddled his fingers slightly.

Frigga's gaze fixed on the ring and she gasped. She seemed to be sitting beside Loki almost instantly, holding his hand in hers and examining the ring. "Oh, this is wonderful! When did this happen?"

"Two weeks ago, but it was rather sudden and we wanted to have a ring previous to showing you," Thor informed.

"We're going to have to start planning immediately. Have you informed your father? I guess not, being you're only just now coming to me. I think green and gold and red would be perfect for the decorations. Where are we even to host it? The palace gardens might work though those would probably be a bit small-"

"Mother!" Loki cut off with a laugh. Thor was stifling laughter himself. "We've barely thought about the wedding itself, much less when it would be!"

"Well you should have thought about that before you came to me with it!" She replied, happiness in her tone.

"Probably," he mumbled teasingly, looking up to Thor. "Next thing we know, she's going to have everything planned and ready to go before we even wake up in the morning."

"Oh please, not even I could hurry it along so fast as for it to be tomorrow," she protested. "However, if you do wish for it to be extremely soon, do tell me. I'll be back in just a moment."

"I'm sure it couldn't arrive fast enough," Thor hummed contently after she had left.

The Trickster smiled, shaking his head slightly in amusement. "I'm sure that whatever time it does occur will be a perfect time."

"Of course it will be because you'll be standing at my side," the Thunderer added.

Loki had opened his mouth to speak once more before a smile overrode his previous actions again. "If you don't cease this, I'll be left permanently smiling and I'm afraid that doesn't always suit me well."

"It suits you perfectly."

"I would hope you believe as such as you're the one that always manages to bring them about."

"Surely that can't be a bad thing."

Loki chuckled softly, leaning back against Thor. "Perhaps it's not."


End file.
